ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · hide · saw · row · tube · content · lie · staff

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — the amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — the underground
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com